Trunk-fastening



(Modeli) v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.v

' W. J. HENRY.

TRUNK FASTENING.

110.244,?50'. M Patented Ju1y'26, 1881.

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PATENT- OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HENRY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

TRUNK-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,750, dated July 26, 1881.

Application filed August 26, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HENRY, of Portland, in the county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk Fastenings; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming. part of this specification, in which- Figure l'is a view of the entire device when open. Fig. 2 is a section of the same when closed. Fig. 3 is a section of the same when open.

The same letters show like parts.

My invention relates to improvements in trunk-fastenings.

The object of my invention is to provide a secure and convenient fastening; to produce a fastenin gin the use of which the lid may be drawn down by a lever in the act of closing said lid to the body, and also one by which the lid may be held at any point of partial closing.

A is a plate to be attached to the lid of a trunk. B is the part to be fastened upon the body of the trunk. O is a tongue composed of two parts, and attached by a hinge to the plate A. d and f are the two parts of the tongue 0, and these two parts are connected together by a hinge. g is a slot in the part B. h is a spring in the slot g. '5 is a prolongation of the part d of the tongue 0 beyond the hinge, by which the parts d and fare held together. j is a slot in the under sideof the part f of the tongue, in which the prolongation i fits. l is the fulcrum of the part 01 of the tongue, and is placed in the slotg, where it is rigidly attached. The end of the prolongation 4; is curved so as to form a hook bending upwardly. The device I is also formed into the shape of a hook curving downwardly, so that these two can be hooked into each other when the tongue 0 is being brought down to the slot in the plate B and into the slot 9 in the act of closing the lid of the trunk.

When the trunk-lid is opened or lifted the tongue (1 will swing upwardly for a certain distance, and then the two hooked ends-to wit, the hooked end of the prolongation i and the hooked end of the device l-will be disengaged in order to permit the turning up or back or complete the opening of the lid.

When the trunk is closed it is locked by means of a lock in the lower end of the plate B, the bolt of which lock plays into an opening in the lower end of the tongue 0. When this lockis unlocked the spring It will throw the tongue 0 out of the slot g.

When the trunk is to be closed and locked the curved ends of the parts i and l are first hooked into each other. This will bring the tongueO into a position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, where the part 01 of the tongue is turned upon the hinge, which unites it with the part f of the tongue. The part 01 of the tongue then becomes a lever with its fulcrum, as described, at the hooked ends of the prolongation i and of the fulcrum l, with the weight to be moved represented by the trunk-lid. The power is applied on the tongue 0. By bearing down with the hand upon the part at of the tongue 0, which is composed of the parts 01 and f, the trunk-lid is brought down upon the body until the tongue 0 is pressed into the slot g in the plate B. This closes the trunk, and it is then locked by the bolt of the lock in the lower end of the plate B entering the opening in the lower end of the tongue 0. The trunk-lid can be held at any desired position short of being completely closed upon the body. This is done by pressing lightly with the hand on the tongue 0, or part at thereof. Thus while the lid is held partially closed by one hand the other may be employed in pushing into the trunk any articles not in place in the trunk, or which protrude through the opening between the lid and the body, and would, if so left, prevent a complete shutting of the trunk.

0 0 are two projections on the under side of the part (1 of the tongue, which projections, when the part d is dropped into the slot 9, pass over the cross-piece p, and thus hold down the lid and take the strain of it, it the trunk is so full that the lid has a tendency to fly open. The prolongation '5 also, resting in the hook I, aids in this object when the tongue 0 is flat down in the slot g.

When the lid of the trunk is raised the tongue G rises with the lid and is never detached from it, the unlocking merely permitting the tongue to rise out of the slot g.

8 shows the position of the lock, and it is in part A, slotted plate or part B, tongue 0, composed of the parts (I and f, spring h, prolongation 2', hook Z, projections 00, cross-piecep lock 1 5 s, and opening t, as and for the purposes herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HENRY. Witnesses:

JOHN M. LINSCOTT, W. H. VVALDRON. 

